The present invention claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 10-222302 filed Jul. 22, 1998, 10-376890 filed Dec. 25, 1998 and 11-21279 filed Jan. 29, 1999 which are incorporated herein by reference.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to an environment safeguarding aqueous detergent composition containing one or more chief ingredients, a surface active agent, and an enzyme, the chief ingredients being selected from the group consisting of essential oils and essential oil components which have been isolated from the essential oils or synthesized. This detergent composition finds use, domestically, in laundry detergents for clothes; dishwashing detergents; bath detergents, especially, for physically handicapped persons or elderly persons, or for whole-body beauty treatment of women intended even for removing dirt of pores of the skin; detergents for partial dermal treatment of the foot or the like; bathtub scale detergents which remove scale on a bathtub regardless of the material making up the bathtub; detergents for the inside of a bath furnace; detergents for fungal degradation; detergents for sanitary ware, such as a toilet bowl or urinal; and cleaning agents for drain pipes. The detergent composition is also used for exterior detergents for vehicles such as automobiles or electric railcars, or transportation devices such as airplanes; detergents for washing the exterior, floor, tile, glass, etc. of a building with water; detergents for dishwashers at restaurants, etc.; detergents for washing kitchen instruments, utensils, floor, gutter, etc. with water; and detergents for removing agricultural chemicals adhering to farm produce. For industrial applications, the detergent composition is used for refining of vegetable fibers, refining of wool or silk, refining of raw hide, or as a deinking agent for paper pulp. The detergent composition also functions as a detergent capable of preventing clogging of a drain pipe when its waste liquor is discharged after treatment with the detergent.
A second aspect and a third aspect of the present invention relate to a dishwashing detergent composition containing an essential oil component selected from the group consisting of terpene alcohol, limonene, pinene, linalyl acetate, and bornyl acetate, and an N-acylamino acid salt, and an environment safeguarding, aqueous detergent composition for home care products which has been produced by diluting the dishwashing detergent composition at a dilution ratio of about 2 to 10. Uses of these detergent compositions include manual washing of tableware; washing of oil in heating instruments, such as electric oven, fryer, oven, cooker, and griddle; washing of oil in drainage and exhaust equipment, such as air fan, duct, filter and drainage port; microbial elimination and cleaning of kitchen utensils, such as chopping board, rice washer, vegetable slicer, and sink; interior cleaning of storage devices, such as refrigerator, freezer, and cold table; exterior washing of stainless steel implements, washing of tile in floor and wall; cleaning of rigid-surface articles, such as counter, table and chair; cleaning of glass or the like; cleaning of sanitary ware, such as wash basin and toilet bowl or urinal; cleaning of steel furniture, such as office supplies; cleaning of instruments incorporating electric appliances, such as OA devices and television set; cleaning of leather goods, such as sofa; cleaning of boarding and cloth-hanged wall; cleaning of bathtub, wall or floor made of plastics or porcelain enamel; cleaning of interior fixtures in automobiles; washing of metallic or chemical conversion tools; and washing of automatic dishwashers. These detergent compositions also function as detergents which can prevent clogging of a drain pipe when their waste liquors are discharged after treatment with the detergents.
Detergents, which have been used so far, mainly consist of surface active agents. The detergents perform washing by emulsifying or dispersing polymers and fats adhering as dirt under the action of the surface active agent, and separating the emulsified or dispersed polymers and fats from an article to be washed. Among such detergents of the surfactant type, enzyme-containing products are also produced and sold. However, these products have posed heavy problems. That is, the surface active agent contained therein surrounds the fats, etc. Thus, the enzyme is kept from contacting the fats, etc., and its function of acting on the fats, etc. to decompose them is greatly restricted, or its enzymatic capability is lost under a protein denaturing action. In recent years, light has been cast intensively on the theme of environment safeguarding. From this point of view, the use of a detergent containing a large amount of a surface active agent has resulted in its release as household drain into rivers. This has led to deterioration of the environment including rivers, and as a consequence, at water treatment plants, the burden of water treatment has been markedly increased.
No detergent has had excellent detergency for all objects to be washed, and has been safe for both of humans and the environment. The detergents in use have been classified by dirt as types for vegetables, tableware, oils adhering to electric ovens, etc., bath scale, household use on nicotine of tobacco, and so on. The detergents are also classified by use into various types, such as those for cleaning a rigid surface of glass or a stone material, e.g., earthenware, for the rigid surface of OA devices made of chemical products, for tatami or carpets, and for earthenware in a toilet. These classifications are uneconomical for consumers, and it is impossible to centrally grasp the safety and influence on the environment of their liquids or scattered spray settling on the skin or mucosa. Thus, their detergency, their safety with respect to humans, and the environmental safety of their waste liquors have not been compatible. Detergents, which are used while being scattered in the air, contaminate the air, or may cause allergic reactions to chemical products. Detergents having various compositions turn into waste liquors, which are discharged into rivers through household drains. These wastes impair the cleaning ability of aerobic microorganisms in the rivers, thereby deteriorating the environment. At water treatment plants, they also markedly increase the burden of water treatment. In recent years, during the process of purification of detergents that is performed in sewers, rivers and seas, detergent compositions have been regarded as arousing chemical reactions to create endocrine disrupting chemicals. This has posed new problems.
Detergents for degreasing home care products have contained petroleum derived surface active agents, organic solvents, etc. Their solutions are alkalis with pH of 8 or higher, and have dissolved oils and fats by means of the alkalis. A soap such as a fatty acid sodium salt or a fatty acid potassium salt, which is used in a dishwashing detergent, is highly biodegradable, and is favorable to the environment, but it is alkaline, and therefore damages the skin. A detergent containing a petroleum derived surface active agent or an organic solvent has necessitated the wearing of rubber gloves or the like. A detergent from petroleum, typified by a straight chain alkylbenzene-sulfonate is neutral at pH 6.0 to 8.0, but causes protein denaturation, chapping the skin. Washing of tableware is a task which must be done every day, thus posing a serious problem to health. Particularly when a dishwasher is used, the detergent for it contains sodium hydroxide as a detergent component, which is highly alkaline and dangerous. The use of a nonionic surface active agent with low alkalinity and causing little foam results in low detergency. The remaining dirt leads to troubles due to bacterial growth.
Recently, the use of surface active agents of natural origin has increased in view of adverse influence on the environment. However, their surface activity is too weak to wrap up the removed fats and oils during transportation to the main sewerage. Thus, the removed fats and oils deposit on the drainage piping ranging from the house to the road, causing frequent troubles due to clogging. Particularly in a housing complex, a single drainage pipe is shared among many houses, so that the increase in clogging-associated troubles has become a serious problem in the community.
Proposals have been made for a household detergent for a rigid surface, or a glass detergent containing citrus essential oils or terpene hydrocarbons (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-76797), and a bathroom scale detergent containing hydrocarbons, alcohol components, and esters (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-221498). Since these detergents contain organic solvents as principal components, their use as sprays irritates the eye and mucosa upon scattering. As a result, they may cause dermal allergy, adversely affecting health.